Improvement in pencil-cases



UNITED Smarts MMM; i

VILLIAM S. HICKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PENCIL-CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. lll 7, dated March 21, 1871.

.To all whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. HIciis, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Pencil-Cases, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Myinvention relates to that class of pencileases which is intended for pocket use 5 and it consists in a novel construction of the case, whereby, by pulling backward on the head, the point is made to prot-rude, and more especially whereby the outershell,which is held i'ast in the hand during the operation, is mounted loosely upon the body of the case, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure lis a longitudinal section of the pencil complete; Figs. 2 and 7, transverse sections on the lines g/ y and x x, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 portions shown detached; Fig. 6, a side view of certain parts united, with portions broken away in order to represent the interior more clearly.

To construct my improved pencil-case I- take an ordinary screw-point, c, and secure it to a small tube, d. (Shown in section in Fig. 5.) This tube d, I insert within another tube, c, which has a straight slot running longitudinally nearly its whole length, as shown in Fig. (5, and then over the tube c, I place another tube, b, which has a spiral slot cut in it, as shown iii-Figs. l and 3, in the latter of which it is shown detached, and also as having projecting from it laterally near one end f a pin, y, which is intended to engage in a spiral slot of still another tube, a,which is slipped on over the tube b, as shown in Fig. l. As represented both in Figs. l and 4, 'the slot in tube c runs in the reverse direction from that of tube Z). The tube b is secured upon Atube c by a shoulder, i, at its lower end, and by a ring, h, which is soldered onto c at its upper end, so that whilethe tube bis held from sliding endwise it is free to turn on tube c, and as it turns thereon its spiral slot forces the pin j', and thereby the inner tube, d, along, the pin f traveling in the straight slot of tube c, which prevents it from turning around with tube I), and thus causes thepoint cto protrude, as shown in Fig. l.

Over the slotted tube a, I secure rigidly an in Fig. l.

ornamental shell or cover, D, in the upper end of which is formed a chamber, l?, closed by an ornamental head, T, for containing a supply of lead points, as is usual in this class of pencil-cases.

To the shoulder i of the tube c, I secure rigidly a tube, B, as represented in Figs. l

and 6, this tube B forming the body or main shell of the case. It is made of such a diameter that when thus secured to the shoulder t' there is left sufficient space between it and the exterior of tube b to permit the tube a and its shell D to slide in between them, as shown This tube B, I form with a shoulder or iiange, t, around its upper end, as shown in Figs. l and 6. I then provide an ornamental outer tube or covering, A, which I slip loosely over the shell B, and secure there by the flange t at its upper end, and a tubular point, C, which is screwed or soldered onto the lower projecting end of tube c, as shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that this outer tube or covering, A, which forms the exterior portion of the body of the lcase when closed, i

and by which the case is held when opened or closed, is free to turn loosely upon the shell B without in any manner moving or affecting any ofthe other parts, and that thus the shell D may be turned contin-uously,whil e the cover A is held rigidly, without injury to the case in any respect.

To close the pencil it is only necessary to push in the shell D, the spiral slots in tubes a and b causing the point c to be drawn in, at the same time a reverse movement causing it to protrude in like manner.

By using two separate tubes, with spiral slots in each, and having one slide over the other, it will be seen that the pencil can be made much shorter and more compact than where these reverse spirals are both made in one tube; or, if the tubes are of the same length, then the spirals can be made much lessabrupt, and will therefore work with much less friction on the pins, and with,1nore ease andsmoothness, both of which are very iniportant features in this class of implements. In this way I ain able to make a very short, compact, and perfect pencil-case-one that is admirably adapted for pocket'use and that is not lliable to be injured or get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, what the tubes a and b, the latter having reverse I claim sl spiral slots, all sliding teleseopieelly Within l. A11 extension pencil-ense having its outer one another, us set forth. shell, A, zu'mnged to turn loosely on its body VILLAM S. HICKS. B, and independently of the other parts of the VitneSses: pencil or euse, substantially as described. l \V. Il'. SEMBLER,

2. The arrangement of the tubes l and c und FORMAN XVIIITNBY. 

